Posted on 09/17/2011 10:09:58 AM PDT by GiovannaNicoletta
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 3–4).
I will never forget what one of my church history professors told us one day in class in the late 1970s at Dallas Seminary. He said something like the following: Those of us who will follow Christ and His Word, as opposed to the rising emphasis upon religious experience, will increasingly become a smaller group until one day we will be on the outside of the American Evangelical Church looking in. My reaction to my professor was, “No, things will never get that bad within Evangelicalism.” Well, my professor was certainly right. I believe that just such a day has arrived! Like Jude, I would have loved to write about our common salvation, but the times are pressing in on biblical believers. We must contend earnestly for the faith!
New Testament Apostasy
The English word “apostasy” is a transliteration of the Greek noun apostasia and is made up of two smaller Greek words, which are apo and istemi. Apo means “from or away from,” while istemi means, “to stand.” Thus, taken together, the compound word has the idea of “to stand away from,” “depart from,” or “departure.” The verbal form aphistemi is used in 1 Timothy 4:1 and means, “to cause someone to move from a reference point, go away, withdraw.” [1] “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith . . .” (1 Tim. 4:1a). Apostasy, as used in this article means to depart from the faith of biblical Christianity. In other words, to no longer believe what the Bible teaches about anything.
The following is a list of the seven major passages that deal with the last days for the church: 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 4:3-4; James 5:1-8; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 3:3-6; Jude 1-25. Every one of these passages emphasizes over and over again that the great characteristic of the final time of the church will be that of apostasy. The New Testament pictures the condition within the professing church at the end of the age by a system of denials.
Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, founder and first president of Dallas Theological Seminary, in an extremely insightful statement characterized the last days for the church in the following way:
"A very extensive body of Scripture bears on the last days for the Church. Reference is to a restricted time at the very end of, and yet wholly within, the present age. Though this brief period immediately precedes the great tribulation and in some measure is a preparation for it, these two times of apostasy and confusion — though incomparable in history — are wholly separate the one from the other. Those Scriptures which set forth the last days for the Church give no consideration to political or world conditions but are confined to the Church itself. These Scriptures picture men as departing from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1-2). There will be a manifestation of characteristics which belong to unregenerate men, though it is under the profession of "a form of godliness" (cf. 2 Tim. 3:1-5). The indication is that, having denied the power of the blood of Christ (cf. 2 Tim. 3:5 with Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:23-24; 2 Tim. 4:2-4), the leaders in these forms of righteousness will be unregenerate men from whom nothing more spiritual than this could proceed." (cf. 1 Cor. 2 :14). [3]
As can be observed from the above characterizations, apostasy occurs in two basic areas: 1) doctrinal defection from the Bible, and 2) immoral or ungodly behavior. The clear course of the last days for the church consists of constant warnings to the believer, especially to pastors and leaders, to be on guard within the flock against doctrinal defection, commonly known as apostasy. Such a characteristic provides for the believer today a clear sign that we are in the last days of the church age.
Christianity or Hinduism?
Caryl Matrisciana in her new video series exposing the new emerging Christianity entitled: Wide is the Gate says at the beginning of her presentation, “There are really only two basic worldviews. The Eastern mysticism of Hinduism . . . and the biblical worldview.” [4] I have long realized this myself when I learned in the 1970s that Hinduism was the polar-opposite of true biblical Christianity. Thus, any time one moves away from the Bible and its teachings by necessity one has to move in the direction of Hinduism and mysticism. My belief has been verified and strengthened over the years as we have seen metaphysical mysticism increasingly come into the Evangelical church during the last 40 years.
I was amazed to read a similar view back in the early 1890s by a pastor who had developed the same belief, but wrote of it in the late 1800s. Samuel J. Andrews wrote a book entitled Christianity and Anti-Christianity in Their Final Conflict. [5] Andrews believes that the polar-opposite of biblical Christianity is what he calls pantheism and the church of his day was moving in that direction. Pantheism, which means that everything is god, is an excellent single term description of Hinduism.
Andrews noted that there are three stages in the history of ideas. “First, their origin in the minds of individual thinkers, . . . Secondly, their popularization and general diffusion. . . . Thirdly, when generally diffused, these ideas find their embodiment in laws and institutions.” [6] Andrews believed that the nineteenth century in which he lived was the second stage of transition to Pantheism, which means that we are clearly in the third and final stage of transition.
When I look at the final form of the apostasy, which will occur during the seven year tribulation in which the antichrist will be dominate, it appears to be a false system along the line of pantheism. There will be false signs and wonders that will be the basis upon which the False Prophet supports the Beast or the antichrist as noted in Revelation 13:13–15. This is reiterated in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 when speaking of the man of lawlessness, “the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders.” This will be the mysticism and magic of Satan himself. This deceptive apex is said to occur because unbelievers in the tribulation “did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Thess. 2:10). One other passage of note in 2 Thessalonians 2 is verse 7 that tells us that “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” during the current church age preparing the world for the entrance of the antichrist who is currently being restrained from making a full appearance until after the rapture.
Conclusion
Such preparation explains why we are seeing all the world’s false religions and belief systems increasingly unite against Bible believing Christians. This is where the world is headed. Either one is for Christ or he will be against him. No middle ground.
The common denominator for all anti-Christians is human experience set against God’s revelation. Since biblical Christianity is rooted and grounded in the fact that the Second Person of the Trinity became a man and entered history in order that He might die for man’s sin as a substitutionary sacrifice in order to provide salvation to those who believe, it is important for unbelievers to shift focus away from the God-Man to human experience. Biblical Christianity has to be stripped of the historical facts of Scripture like creation, the fall, the flood, the call of Abram, the exodus, the conquest, the Temple, the incarnation, the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, as well as His second coming. In its place is the self-discovery through some religious discipline of the inner self. Nothing more than human experience.
Human experience rather than God’s revelation is the common denominator that links all false religions and philosophies into a common bond. This is why the products of humanistic thinking is being brought into our Evangelical church through items such as psychology and psychotherapy, self-development, quietness and meditation exercises, Yoga, social justice, heath foods, and all kinds of metaphysical approaches that replace a biblical doctrine of holiness and sanctification. The gospel is taking a backseat to social programs and “do-goodism” since these metaphysical approaches seek to reform mankind instead of recognizing our sin and need for the Saviour. These kinds of trends being spearheaded by the emerging church within Evangelicalism are not making the gospel more relevant to the culture instead it is leading the way to hell by making the church no different than the world. It is also setting the stage for accepting the antichrist. Maranatha!
Endnotes
[1] W. F. Arndt, F. W. Danker, F. W. Gingrich, & Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), p. 158.
[2] Taken from J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), p. 155.
[3] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, 8 Vols. (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1948), vol. IV, p. 375.
[4] Caryl Matrisciana, Wide is the Gate: The Emerging New Christianity, Vol. 1 (Menifee, CA: Caryl Productions, 2011), @ the 4 minute mark of the DVD.
[5] Samuel J. Andrews, Christianity and Anti-Christianity in Their Final Conflict (Chicago: The Bible Institute Colportage Association, 1898).
[6] Andrews, Christianity and Anti-Christianity, p. 201.
There have been two Floods, first one is described in Genesis 1:2, and IIPeter 3:5. Then of course Noah's Flood, describe in Genesis 6, and Peter talks about it in IIPeter 2. And the 'rapture' is foretold in Ezekiel 13:16-23.
There is simply no way for a serious student of Bible prophecy to say that the Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38/39, and Armageddon wars are the same war. And if Church was date-setting, that's even more reason not to bother with it.
I'll never know for certain what Church said about the matter because I won't buy the book.
I always revere her by calling her ‘Blessed Mary’ , I dont think there is any other way.
The Ps 83 War will allow Israel to destroy Damascus, get rid of Hamas and Hezbollah, and conquer the surrounding land (Lebanon, Jordan, parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia...). Then, and only then, Israel will live at peace, setting the stage for the Ezekiel 38 war. Both wars take place before the Tribulation, Armaggeddon takes place afterwards. So, how could anybody equate all 3 conflicts?
***(As an aside, having run temporarily through serious stuff, I’m finally reading the first Left Behind novel. The prose ranges from pedestrian to dire. I read the first page and thought “It was a dark and stormy night...” )***LOL. I too, worked my way through the 1st book. Page after page of theological error...
I'm about half way, just to the point where pilot and daughter are showing up at First Generic Evangelical Church of Mt. Prospect. So far there hasn't been enough theology to criticize. For a book supposedly about the return of Christ, there's very little talk of Jesus.
Which is typical.
(I'm grumpy this afternoon. This was "Youth Sunday". Always hard. Familiar with the phrase "moralistic therapeutic deism"?)
Is that anything like: Jesus loves you the rest of us can’t stand you? :>)
What do they do for youth Sunday? Don’t tell me the youth preach and stuff.
What do they do for youth Sunday? Don’t tell me the youth preach and stuff.
I wouldn't call it preaching, but it was in place of it.
That’s too bad. Bad enough some of the poor excuses we have for preachers, let alone handing it off to the kiddies.
We Christians have already been judged...
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
This and other similar verses are missing from your catechism???
If you guys would only believe what God tells you in the scriptures you could get a grip on what is real Christianity...
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Jesus is NOT sitting in Jerusalem...Jesus, thru the Holy Spirit indwells all Christians...Jesus reigns from within a Christian...
That's not in your catechism either, is it??? It's certainly in the bible tho...
Jesus gave us the roadmap in his scriptures...Your religion isn't even on the map...
Your religion is condemned in the scriptures...Claiming your religion is the one true religion based on the writings of the people that invented your religion does not equate to biblical Christianity...
To be that religion, we have to see it in the scriptures, God's revelation to man...Outside of the pharisees, your religion is not there, except in the condemnations of the scripture...
To believe God's word is to disassociate with Catholicism...
You don't have scripture...You have your catechism, which is a very poor commentary on some scripture...How much scripture is contained in your catechism???
You appear to be reading it wrong...The dead are not risen...Go dig up any recent grave and have a look...
Paul is speaking of dead bodies...The souls have already risen from the dead bodies but NOT the bodies...
1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
1Co 15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The dead bodies in the ground will be raised, first...Those bodies which are alive will go second...Bodies, spirit and soul...
This is called the redemption...
There are seven Trumpets in the book of Revelation...They can each make as many 'trumps' as they are made to...
Does Dr Ice still understand the word apostasy to mean rapture?
2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
Does christian psychology exist?
Good post!
Yes, I believe he does. He is the one who wrote the article I posted a few months ago where he made the case that the meaning of apostasia as used in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 means a physical "departure".
This article is about the "departure from the faith" meaning of "apostasy", that is used only three times in Scripture - Luke 8;13; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb 3:12.
"Apostasy" can be used as a departure from the faith - it's just not used that way very often and never in the Rapture Scriptures where apostasia is utilized.
Ecclesiastes 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, (spinal cord) or the golden bowl be broken, (head or skull) or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, (heart failure) or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it.
The physical flesh body is not what is risen, once dead it has served its limited purpose.
IICorinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the LORD:
7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
8 We are confident, I say, sand willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the LORD.
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be acceptable of Him.
IPeter 3: 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison,
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the ongsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God),
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God;
angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.
IPeter 4:1-5 (READ to save time and space) verse 6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh,
but live according to God in the spirit.
The dead are already 'risen' so naturally they would be first. Nobody is going to come back in a spiritual body hunting their flesh remains.
Oh so many have made as many 'trumps' as they need to make themselves a new doctrine. BUT Paul knew when he said at the LAST trump all flesh would be changed, because that is the trump that Christ returns. The 7 trumps, the 7 seals, the 7 vials are what Christ old His disciples would need be, the 'signs' leading up to His return. AND Christ never said one WORD about Him sneaking back to take His Bride, He told us to WATCH for those signs until His return to take a harvest with that double edged sword, that cuts both ways.
1 Corinthians 15:12 (NIV) But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
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